Once upon a time, there were some Slooks...

Back in 1989-1994, my life was all about being away at college--Brigham Young University. It was always my mom's and my dream that I go away to school and it turned out to be an amazing 5 years of growth and some very enduring friendships.

When you go away to school (I'm sure Emma will learn this) roommates--which are usually chosen for you--become an integral part of your life. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't, and sometimes you get EXTRA lucky...

I had a very nice roommate my freshman year in the dorms and there was a good group of us when I moved into an apartment of 6 girls my 2nd year. My 3rd year is the one I have repressed, because we had personality clashes the entire year.

By my 4th year--1992-1993--I needed a fresh new start. I was living off-campus in Regency, an all-girl building that I really liked, so I decided to go "pot luck" again and see who I ended up with.

That year, the Slook group was born:

Karen from Virginia
Andrea from Utah
Debbie from New York (and Andrea's cousin)
Sally from Oregon
Melanie from Oregon--1st semester (she and Sally were friends)
Trish from Utah--2nd semester
and me, from California

As soon as we met each other and started unpacking and setting up the apartment, we knew something was different. We weren't just roommates who had been thrown together, we really liked each other and enjoyed being together. It was like sextuplets who had been separated at birth coming together for the first time.

You're always a little cautious at first when you meet new roommates, but this was different, and a few weeks after the school year began we were all sitting in the living room being silly and kind of "feeling the love." We needed to celebrate, what could we do?....

We ended up looking at the calendar and discovering that it was Yom Kippur. Fine, we'd celebrate Yom Kippur in our non-Jewish way as well as our newfound roommate love. I think we piled into Debbie's blue Ford station wagon and drove a couple of blocks to Hardee's (hamburger joint) for some ice cream. Not just any ice cream--Twist cones! (1/2 chocolate, 1/2 vanilla.) From then on, I think all of us have thought as Yom Kippur as "our" holiday. I know I do!!

I think these pictures were from a later Twist Cone run, but this is an example of our silly escapades...
(top: Debbie, Melanie, Karen--bottom: me, Andrea, Sally)

That year, and probably my freshman year (for all of its newness and excitement) are my favorite years at BYU.

We went on trips, had carpet picnics in the living room, grocery shopped together, cooked together, did each other's hair, swapped clothes, went to movies, dances and church activities, we played some wicked practical jokes on each other and unsuspecting neighbors and friends. And we laughed. We were always laughing and doing silly stuff.

How was the name "Slook" born? (That's pronounced with a long "u" sound, in case you're interested..) I'm not sure of the exact origin of the word, but I know it was Debbie who came up with it, as well as the Slook language, which basically involves sticking an "sl" sound as the beginning consonant blend in strategic places while you're talking. I'm pretty certain that was all Debbie, who still, to this day, is the funniest person I have ever met.

The next year we were together only partially, because Trish, Debbie, and Andrea left for different (very valid) reason, like going on missions or getting married. Karen, Sally, and I stayed together, but it was not the same. I think I appreciated the bond from the previous year even more once the 6 of us weren't together.

I graduated in 1994 and the years rolled by as they do. We've tried to keep in touch, and we've done a pretty good job, considering that I haven't seen Debbie since before her mission in 1994 and the rest since around 1995 or 1996, and also considering that all of the Slooks except me do not live in their home state.

Shortly after graduation, we lost track of Sally. Sally, our science genius with the long black hair and a quirky sense of style that only she could make look good. I also seem to remember that she was always sticking things up her nose...hmmm...

The rest of us still emailed and sent Christmas cards. When my dad died in 2006 I received a lovely flower arrangement from them. That meant so much.

I never gave up hope that we would find Sally again, but the years kept going by and none of us knew where she was.

And then...fast forward to last Wednesday.

New to the Facebook site, I was looking for friends to add and I decided to try entering Sally's name. After a couple of wrong turns I saw her picture. My jaw practically dropped to the floor I was so surprised. We found her. After some emotional emails were passed around I've felt myself sighing a big sigh of relief. These girls/women/Slooky slooks are like my sisters. I don't want to lose track of any of them!

The Slooks are together again. And we smell better than ever. (private slook joke...) Now we need to plan a reunion.

So yes, college is a time of many things, but anyone should only hope to be so lucky as to find friends like these...

And now..the pictures of years gone by...

Karen and Debbie cleaning up from a massive confetti prank...

Sally in her thrift store dress and Doc Martins ready to go grocery shopping...isn't this how we all look when we're grocery shopping?

Debbie about to freak out her boyfriend into thinking she had cut her hair, which was really tucked convincingly into her collar...

Andrea and me at her parents' house in Salt Lake City...

Trish, me, Debbie, and Sal all dressed up for a 50's dance...

Sally trying to shave her legs the hard way....just kidding...it was fake blood leftover from Halloween...another April Fool's day prank...

Andrea and I have the same birthday--March 7--so Karen made us a chocolate spatula cake. (There was some silly rule about no open flames allowed in the apartments...)

Karen and me--folding laundry is boring, let's just throw it in the air instead...

Andrea, Karen, Debbie, and me on a ski trip...

Karen and Debbie trying to look gansta...

(above: Karen, Sally, me, Andrea, Melanie, Debbie--the semester 1 Slooks of Regency 52, 1992-1993)

(above: Debbie, me, Trish, Sally, Andrea, Karen--the semester 2 Slooks 1992-1993)

My Slooks! I love my sisters from another mother!

P.S. I just got off the phone with Sally. Our first time talking in around 13 years. It was great talking with you Sally!